Refrigerating apparatus



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May 10, 1938. E. F. SCHWELLER' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 10, 1938. E. F. SCHWELLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 26, 19:52

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May 10, 1938. E. F. SCHWELLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 10, 1938.

E. F. SCHWELLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nlay 10, 1938 2,116,914 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Edmund F. Schweller,

by mesne assignments, poration,

Dayton, Ohio, assignor, to General Motors Cora. corporation of Delaware Application November 2c, 1932, Serial No. 644,473

11 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating appar'atus' and more particularly to refrigerator cabinets. i 'As a general rule refrigerator cabinets have been built with a heavy wooden framework towhich is fastened inner metal wallsand on the outside of which is fastened outer metal panels. Between the walls there has been provided insulation, such as cork, which has been scaled by dipping in or covering it with hot asphalt to prevent the access of moisture thereto. Such cabinets have been open to a number of objections in that they are rather heavy, that they require a large amount of labor and that they are relatively high in cost.

The objects of my invention include the provision of a refrigerator cabinet in which the outer metal walls form the main structural framework of the cabinet and which outer metal walls are sealed so as to prevent the access of moisture to the insulation, to the provision of a door for such cabinet which is also frameless and which has its metal walls forming the main. structural framework of the door, and to the provision of a simple and unique way of supporting the refrigerating apparatus and connecting difierent portions thereof through the walls of the cabinet.

.It is another object of the invention to provide an improved method of installing and removing the refrigerating system from the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side vertical sectional view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front vertical sectional view of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4' is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the door for the cabinet Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the modified form of the invention in which the refrigerant compressor is placed beneath the food compartment;

Fig. dis a fragmentary transverse sectional view of a modified form of the door;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of a modification of the door; and

Fig. 8 is a section upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 with the rubber gasket member omitted.

Referring to the drawings and more particusectional view 810 18 the further larly to Fig. 1 there is shown a refrigerator cabinet 20 which is constructed of a one piece vertical generally tubular sheet metal shell 2i rectangular in cross section. In order to hold the tubular sheet metal shell 2| in position and make it more 5 rigid, there is provided a rectangular bottom sheet 22 and a rectangular top sheet 23 each of which are provided with flanges 24 and 25 which are fitted within the tubular sheet metal outer shell with their flanges extending upwardly and 10 downwardly so as to form the top and bottom enclosures for the outer walls of the food compartment 26 which is located within the outer wall of the cabinet. The top and bottom metal sheets 22 and 23 have their flanges 24 and 25 tightly l5 welded to the tubular member so as to form a hermetic air tight joint. These top and bottom members strengthen the outer tubular shell so as to make it self sustaining.

Beneath the bottom sheet metal member 22 20 there are provided legs 21 at the corners of the cabinet for supporting the food compartment at a suitable height above the floor. In the front portion of the outer tubular sheet metal member 2| there is provided a large opening which is 25 surrounded by a flange 28. Surrounding the flange 28 are placed wooden frame members which form a door jamb frame 29.

In order to properly insulate the walls of the cabinet there is provided insulating panels one in 30 each wall of the cabinet. In the bottom Wall of the cabinet there has been provided an insulated panel 30, in the rear wall, a panel 3i, in the top wall. a panel 32, and in the side walls the panels 33 and 34. These insulation panels are prefer- 36 ably placed in the cabinet while the cabinet is lying upon its back. Taking the bottom panel 30 as an example, these panels are made of a plurality of rectangular frames 36 which are made of some low conducting material such as wood. 40 These frames 36 have sheets of bright metallic foil 31 stretched thereon and fastened thereto by a suitable adhesive. After the foil is applied, the frames are stacked together and fastened together to form an insulation panel wherein the sheets of bright metallic foil 3'! are held in spaced relation with air spaces 38 in between. On each of the outer sides of each of the panels there is provided a sheet of waterproof paper 39.

After the cabinet has been placed upon its back and the insulation panels inserted in their places in the cabinet it is'ready for the insertion of the inner liner and door molding. It has formerly been the practice to fasten the inner liner which is the inner sheet metal wall on the food comparting 40 in cross section is inner periphery the outside of the outer metal walls 2|.

ment by having its front edges nailed or otherwise secured directly to the door jamb frame.- In order to provide a better insulated cabinet and assembly thereof I have fastened the rectangular door molding 40, which is made of some suitable low conducting material such as wood, to the inner liner 4| which forms the inner sheet metal walls of the cabinet. This inner liner has a flange 42 at its front edge which fits against the rear edge of the rectangular door molding and has a bead which extends over the projecting corner of the'door molding. Wood screws extend through the flange 42 into the rectangular door molding to fasten the door jamb molding 40 to the inner liner 4|. The door moldwedge shaped and has its front end fastened by wood screws to. the of the door jamb frame 29. The is larger in its outer dimension than the outer dimension of the inner liner 4|. Likewise the door jamb frame 29 is also larger than the outer dimension of the inner liner 4|.

' manner the assembly consisting of the inner liner and door molding may be slipped into the door opening and fastened from the outside. By this type of construction a substantial barrier is placed between the inner liner 4| and the outer metal walls 29 to prevent heat transfer from the outer walls to the inner walls. In order for heat to travel from the outer wall to the inner liner it is necessary that this heat be conducted through the door molding. Inasmuch as the door molding 40 does not readily conduct heat very little heat will be transferred to the inner liner through this path. This construction greatly facilitates the assembly of the cabinet.

In the upper portion of the cabinet above the food compartment 26 I provide a machinery compartment 44'. The machinery compartment 44 has a removable top ornamental cover 45 provided with turned down flanges which fit over Within the machinery compartment 44 there'is provided a refrigerant compressor 46, preferably of the sealed unit type, which is mounted upon four vibration absorbing brackets 41. These brackets 41 have feet which rest upon the top sheet metal member 23 which is provided with radial ribs formed therein for strengthening this top sheet metal member so that it may support the weight unit 46 without being distorted. Beneath the top sheet metal member and directly beneath the feet of the bracket 41 there is provided four bushings 48 of a suitable insulating material such as hard rubber or a phenol condensation product. These bushings 48 are provided with reduced portions and shoulders at their upper and lower ends which extend through suitably located apertures in the top sheet metal member or plate 23 and inner sheet metal member or plate 49 which forms the top wall of the inner liner 4|. The reduced portion at one or even both ends of these bushings may be made of a polygonal or irregular shape and the apertures provided with a similar shape so that the bushings will not pressor 46 is fastened to these bushings by having the cap screws 50 extending through the feet of the bracket 41 and threaded into the bushings 48. A refrigerant evaporator 5| is provided in the upper portion of the food compartment 26 immediately beneath the inner sheet metal member 49.

door molding 40 This evaporator is supported in proper position by turn. The refrigerant com of the insulation panel 32, are provided between the foil at the proper, location and an aperture made through this point of the panel so as to prevent the air spaces between the sheets of foil from being exposed. A passage 54 extending through another set of transverse strips is provided for the refrigerant lines 55 which extend to theevaporator 5|. In order to keep these lines out of contact with the outer walls of the passage through the insulation and to close the ends of the passage there is provided rubber stoppers 55 with suitable apertures to receive refrigerant conduits and fitted in the ends of the passage 54 through upper sheet metal member or top plate 23 and the inner sheet metal member 49 which may also be called bottom plate. In order to insulate the passage 54 some suitable low insulation such as kapok or mineral wool may be placed therein. The top wall of the cabinet is made removable so that the evaporator and compressor, which are fastened thereto by the bushings 48, may be removed therefrom without disturbing the refrigerating system. This is done by connecting the top plate 23 to the flanges 25 through the medium of the machine screws 51 and a gasket 58 of sponge rubber which is clamped tightly between the edges of the top plate 23 and the flange 25 to make an hermetic seal. A bottom plate or inner sheet metal member 49 is sealed to the inner liner 4| by a suitable sponge rubber gasket 59. This bottom plate 49 has no other support than the bushings 48. The gasket 59 is compressed by the weight of the refrigerating elements upon the panel or top wall and by the clamping action of the machine screws 51. Connected to the compressor 46 and the evaporator 5| by the flexible refrigerant conduits 56 and 18 is a sheet metal plate type condenser which is fastened to the rear wall of the cabinet and which is cooled by vertically flowing air.

A door BI is provided in the door opening of the cabinet. The rear portion of the door (see Fig. 4) is provided with a deep pan-shaped sheet metal member 62 having flanged edges 63 which are fastened to wooden connecting strips 84 by suitable wood screws 69. The front portion of the door BI is provided with a flat sheet metal member 65 which has its edges 56 curled over the outer edges of the connecting strips 54 but spaced and insulated from the rear of the sheet metal panel 63. The connecting strips are fastened by means of the machine screws 51 to a bracket member 68 which is preferably spot welded to the sheet metal member 65. At the rear of the connecting strip 64 there is provided a rubber air seal which has a forked end. portion with one of the forks ll fastened beneath the flange 53 of the pan member 62 while the other fork 12 extends over and covers the flange ,portion 83 of the pan 62 and thereby covers the wood screws 69. A suitable foil insulation panel 13 which is similar to a foil insulation panel heretofore described is provided at the front and rear sheet metal members of the door. The onl: difference between this panel and the othei panels heretofore described is that the doc: panel is thicker and has an additional sheet 0 bright metallic foil 14, an additional frame por tion and an additional air space providing bet 1itertinsulation for the door portion of the cab- In Fig. 5, the cabinet has been so modified so as to provide a place for the sealed motorcompressor unit at the bottom. This cabinet 89 is also provided with a vertical generally tubular sheet metal member M which has upper and vided with a similar construction in which the inner lining 89 is fastened to the door molding 85 which in turn is fastened to the wooden strips a machinery compartment 88. At the bottom of the machinery compartment 88 there is provided an angle iron member 89 which extends around the bottom of the vertical tubular member 8i. At the corners of the angle iron member 89 are provided suitable cabinet legs 99 preferably of sheet metal. Extending across angle iron frame member 89 is a small channel mem- The sealed motor compressor unit 92 is mounted upon vibration absorbing brackets 98 which are fastened to a sheet metal plate 99 which has a forked front end 95 which engages the channel member iii. The rear end of the sheet metal plate 98 is fastened by suitable bolts to a rear cross member 96. The sheet 1 metal plate 98 is fastened by suitable gussets ill to a vertical plate type condenser 98 which is mounted upon a rear wall of the cabinet. Flexible refrigerant lines I83 from the sealed motorcompressor unit 92 and the condenser 98 extend up the back of the cabinet and over the top of the food compartment 8i through a notch 99 in the front top portion of the cabinet to an evaporator Hill which is supported by the. bolts Iili from the bottom sheet metal plate on the top wall of the cabinet. The notch 99 is formed by displacing the central portionv of the front sheet metal wall of the cabinet and by cutting a notch in the upper portion of the door'jamb 85. Within this notch a suitable rubber tubular member III and the refrigerant lines are placed. In .order to cover this rubber tubular member III and the notch a name plate I82 has been fastened to the cabinet in such a manner as to cover this notch. In this way it is not necessary the insulation panels or the of the food compartment in order that the refrigerant lines may be connected to the evaporator.

This cabinet is assembled in a manner similar to that described for a top unit style. In the style of cabinet shown in Fig. 5, the vertical generally tubular sheet metal outer shell is first formed into shape and the top and bottom flanged sheet metal members or plates 82 and 83 are then hermetically fastened thereto by a suitable welding or soldering operation. At this time the lower angle iron flange 89 is also welded to the tubular member. The cabinet is then turned upon its back. The insulation panels I05 are placed within the cabinet against the outer sheet metal walls of the cabinet. These panels are made in a manner similar to that described for the top unit style and are composed of a plurality of sheets of bright metal foil spaced by thin air spaces. The rear insulation panel covers the entire rear portion of the cabinet and extends from the top sheet metal member82 to the. bottom sheet metal member 83 and from rubber gasket member one outer side wall to the other side wall. 011 top of this insulation panel the top and bottom insulation panels, as well as panels are placed. At this time the wooden strips which. make up the door jamb frame 88 are put into place. The inner liner member 88 and the wedge-shaped rectangular door molding are assembled separately and a reinforcing plate I96 and the evaporator bolts I8I are put into place in the top portion thereof. After making this assembly, the inner liner together with the door molding are slipped into place and the door molding fastened to the door jamb screws 101. By so fastening the door molding to the door jamb frame members, the in-turned flange I88 surrounding the door opening is clamped tightly. In this way the inner liner is supported by the door molding from the outer sheet metal walls of the cabinet. The insulation panels are held against the outer walls of the cabinet by the inner liner 8d. The door for the cabinet may be put on the cabinet at this time.

The refrigerating system is then placed into the cabinet with the compressor supported on the cross members 9i and 96 and the condenser is then fastened to the rear wall of the cabinet. After this the flexible the rubber tubular member III thereon are extended over the top of the cabinet and placed within the notch in front of the cabinet while the evaporator is bolted to the upper portion of the inner liner by the bolts IM. After this, the ornamental nameplate I 92 is fastened to the front of the cabinet so as to cover the refriger-' ant lines at the front of the cabinet and the ornamental top cover I89 is put into position on thetop of the cabinet so as to cover the refrigerant lines extending over the top of the cabinet.

In Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive a simplified form of door construction is shown for the cabinet shown in Fig. 5. In this construction, a deep pan-shaped rear sheet metal member II 5 is provided with a flanged edge portion II6. An insulating panel I, made up of a plurality of frames II8 having sheets of bright metallic foil H9 therebetween, is placed within the pan-shaped member I I5. On top of this is placed the outer'sheet metal door member I20 having a curled edge portion I2I and a necked-in or recessed flanged attaching portion I22 which forms a sort of ledge is placed over the pan-shaped member and the insulation. A thick rubber gasket member I23 is provided between the flanged edge IIB of the pan-shaped member 5 and the recessed attaching portion I22 of the outer sheet metal member I20. This I23 extends entirely around the door and is provided with an integral air sealing portion I24 which extends therefrom and rests against the curled edge portion I2I of the outer sheet metal member I29. The attaching portion I22 is recessed sufficiently to accommodate the thick rubber gasket member I28. This rubber gasket member acts as an insulation ,between the pan-shaped member H5 and the outer sheet metal member I20.

In order to fasten 7 these parts together, brass screws I25 are provided which extend through the flanged edge portion H6 of the pan-shaped member H5 and are threaded into a tapped extruded portion I26 upon the recessed fastening portion of the outer sheet metal member. In order to cover the brass screws I25 the rubber gasket is made in a sortv of a forked design so that a lip or extension I21 of rubber is provided outer metal walls,

liner, a rectangular 4- which extends over the brass screws I25 and the flanged edge portion I I6 of the pan-shaped member H; It will be seen that this door construction consists of only five elements. The insulation panel, the pan-shaped member, the outer sheet metal member, and the fastening screws I25. This greatly simplifies the construction of the door and lowers the cost of the door by providing a very thick rubber gasket member between the pan-shaped sheet metal member and the outer sheet metal member, heat conduction between the inner and outer sheet metal members is effectively prevented. The brass screws are sufliciently small so that heat leak through the screws is not a serious matter.

However, it is possible to prevent heat leak through the brass screws by the construction shown in Figs. '7 and 8. In this construction keyhole slots I30 are cut in the recessed attaching portion I32 of the outer sheet metal member. Within the smaller portion of the keyhole slot there is slidably inserted the nuts I3I of a material having low heat conductivity such as hard rubber which is provided with a squared groove upon its periphery which engages the edges of the narrow portion of the keyhole slot I30 50 that the nut I3 I is tightly held and prevented from turning. The brass screws I35 are then threaded into these nuts I3I and otherwise the door is similar in every respect to the form shown in Fig. 6.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerator cabinet including an inner liner, a rectangular door molding fastened to the front edges of the inner liner, said door molding having low heat conductivity,

being of a material a door jamb frame of a material having low heat conductivity surrounding'the front portion of the rectangular door molding, fastening means for. fastening the rectangular door molding to the door jamb frame for supporting the inner liner, sheet metal outer walls fastened to and supporting the door jamb frame,'and insulating means between the outer metal walls and the inner liner.

2. A refrigerator cabinet including an inner front edges of the inner liner, said door molding being of a material having low heat conductivity, a door jamb frame of a material having low heat conductivity surroun ng .the front portion of the rectangular door molding, fastening means for fastening the rectangular door molding to the door jamb frame for supporting the inner liner, a large vertical generally tubular sheet metal member surrounding the inner liner but spaced therefrom and being fastened to the door jamb frame for supporting said frame and flanged transverse upper. and lower sheets insertedwithin the tubular member and having the flanges fastened to the tubular member for closing the end portions thereof. I v

3. A refrigerator cabinet including inner and insulation between the inner and outer walls, said cabinet having a removable wall comprising a top plate and a bottom plate, aninsulation panel between the top and bottom plate, said insulation panel comprising a plurality of sheets Including at least one of bright metallic foil held in spaced relation with air spaces bptween'by a framework, said top plate being herand continuously across door molding fastened to the metically but removably sealed to the outer. walls, said insulation panel having a plurality of strips between the sheets offoil and an aperture through the strips and sheets of foil for providing a sealed opening through the foil panel.

4. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a box-like structure including an inner liner forming a compartment to be cooled within said cabinet and having an access opening, surrounding said inner liner for insulating said compartment, and means forming a supporting structure for the liner and said means for insulating said compartment and forming as well the outer finish walls of the cabinet, said second named means having an opening in one side thereof adapted to register with said compartment access opening of the cabinet and comprising an integral continuously extending one-piece sheet metal tubular element extending continuously across the side of the cabinet having the access opening therein and continuously across two adjacent sides and the back of said cabinet. r

5. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a box-like structure including an inner liner forming a comof the cabinet and comprising an integralcontinuously extending one-piece sheet metal tubular element extending continuously across the side of the cabinet having the access opening therein two adjacent sides and the back of said cabinet, and the vertical portions of said sheet metal tubular element extending continuously beyond the means for insulating said compartment and. providing a plurality of vertical walls of a second compartment for enclosing a refrigerating machine adapted to be associated with the cabinet.

6. A refrigerator structure including an inner liner forming a' compartment to be cooled within said cabinet. and having an access opening, means surrounding said inner liner for insulating said compartment, means forming a supporting structure for the cabinet comprising a box-like liner and said means for insulating said compart- I named meanshaving an opening in one side thereof adapted to register cabinet and comprising an integral continuously extending one-piece sheet metal tubular element extending continuously across the side of the cabinet having the access openin therein and continuously across two adjacent sides and the back of said cabinet, and the vertical portions of said sheet metal tubular element extending con-- tinuously beyond the means for insulating said compartment and providing at least three impervious vertical walls of a-second compartment. for enclosing a refrigerating'machine adapted to be associated with the. cabinet.

'7. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a box-like structure including an inner liner forming a compartment to be cooled within said cabinet and having anaccess opening, meansfsurrounding' said inner liner forinsulating said compartment,

means forming, a supporting structure for the with said compartment access openingof thement and forming as well the outer finish walls of the cabinet, said second named means having an opening in one side thereof adapted to register with said compartment access opening of the cabinet and comprising an integral continuously extending one-piece sheet metal tubular element extending continuously across the side of the cabinet having the access opening therein and continuously across two adjacent sides and the back of said cabinet, sheet metal closure means extending across the tubular element above and below the said means surrounding said inner liner for insulating said compartment, and said sheet metal closure means being secured to said tubular element in such manner as to form a hermetic seal about said means for insulating said comnartment.

B. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a box-like structure including an inner liner forming a compartment to be cooled within said cabinet and having an access opening, means surrounding said inner liner for insulating said compartment, means forming a supporting structure for the liner and said means for insulating said compartment and forming as well the outer finish walls of the cabinet, said second named means having an opening in one side thereof adapted to register with said compartment access opening of the cabinet and comprising an integral continuously extending one-piece sheet metal tubular element extending continuously across the side of the cabinet having the access opening therein and continuously across two adjacent sides and the back of said cabinet, sheet metal closure means extending across the tubular element 'above and below the said means surrounding said inner liner for insulating said compartment, said sheet metal closure means being secured to said tubular element in such manner as to form a hermetic seal about said means for insulating said compartment, and portions'of said sheet metal tubular element extending continuously beyond one of said sheet metal closure means and providing at least three walls of a second compartment for enclosing a refrigerating machine adapted to be associated with the cabinet.

9. A refrigeratingapparatus comprising a wall structure adapted to be supported upon a refrigerator cabinet to form a part of an insulated wall of a food storage compartment thereof, said wall structure including spaced apart sheet metal exteriorly of the food compartment of the refrigerator cabinet, a cooling element'mounted on the, opposite side of said wall structure for disposition within the refrigerator cabinet, means for securing a porbushings on food compartment of the tion of said refrigerant circulating means to said bushings, means for securing a portion of said cooling element to said bushings, said securing means cooperating with one another and with said wall structure to form a rigid unitary construction, and said rigid unitary construction being adapted to be bodily removable from the refrigerator cabinet.

10. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a wall structure adapted to be supported upon a refrig erator cabinet to form a part of an insulated top wall of a food storage compartment thereof, said wall structure including spaced apart outer and metal members and insulating material therebetween, said wall structure having insulating bushings passing through the insulating material thereof and extending between said outer and inner sheet metal members, a refriger ant circulating unit mounted on the side of said wall structure adjacent said outer sheet metal member thereof for disposition exteriorly of the food compartment of the refrigerator cabinet, a cooling element mounted on the side of said wall structure adjacent said inner sheet metal member thereof for disposition within the food compartment of the refrigerator cabinet, means for securing a portion of said refrigerant circulating unit to said bushings, means for securing a portion of said cooling element to said bushings, said securing means cooperating with one another and with said wall structure to form a rigid unitary construction, and said rigid unitary construction being adapted to be bodily removable from the refrigerator cabinet.

11. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a wall structure adapted to be supported by a refrigerator cabinet to form a part of an insulated wall of a food storage compartment thereof, said wall structure including spaced apart metalmembers and insulating material therebetween, said structure having insulating bushings extending between the spaced apart metal members thereof, a closed refrigerating system attached to said wall structure and including an evaporator connected with a plurality of elements forming a refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit, means for securing a portion of said evaporator to said one side of said wall structure for disposition within said food storage compartment of said cabinet, means for securing a portion of one of said elements of said refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit to said bushings on the opposite side of said wall structure for disposition exteriorly of said food storage compartment, said securing means cooperating with one another and with said wall structure to form a rigid unitary construction, and said unitary construction being adapted to be bodily removable from the refrigerator cabinet.

EDMUND F. SCHWELLER. 

